Robert Hawkins

Thank you. I support the delay only to find a way to derail this. I do not support the delay as a way to further implement this plan. What we need is clear, concise, honest and open consultation, as has been said by many of the Members today.

If this government finds ways to make the cost of living here worse, who is going to want to stay? It’s hard enough attracting people to the North who are new, if we can’t keep the people we have dedicated here.

In closing, I think this is the wrong path. The people have spoken. I don’t know how many more names on a petition or any piece of documentation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not trying in any way to catch the Minister off guard, but is he is aware of any type of financial dollars that will be lost if some of these loans in respect to the BDIC.... He knows the companies I’m referring to. Does he have any idea or is his department doing any reconciliation about the type of loan dollars that would be lost when these companies go out of business officially?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to see if the Minister would expand as to what marketing program he has. Does he have a financial program that can help these tourism companies switch their types of products? Typically a hunting lodge, as an example…. They weren’t necessarily in the eco business, and this is a big shift on how they market their lodge and market their products and timing. What is available, exactly, to these groups?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I continue to remind this government about the need for a zero based review before any tax increases.

I started this session several weeks ago raising the concerns of many of my constituents in this city regarding the way the government potentially wants to tax-monger these new ideas through our next budget process. Mr. Speaker, 23 days ago I raised this issue, and I would continue to raise this issue. The fact is the Finance Minister must listen to the people. They cannot bear being punished with further taxes. Good fiscal management needs to be the philosophy.

Again I...

Thank you Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is pleased to provide its Report on Matters Referred to the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures. In a letter dated January 15, 2008, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Hon. Paul Delorey, referred a request from Mrs. Jane Groenewegen, Chair of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, to the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedure. The Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning expressed concern with regard to the government’s response to formal motions made in the House in response to direction...

Some of the problems I have heard is potential cash flow to make sure they can keep their business afloat during these rocky times. Does the department consider any type of option like this?

Mr. Speaker, three well established tourism businesses in the Yellowknife region are closing the doors, if they have not closed them yet. I don’t feel comfortable mentioning their names, because I know only one, as of yesterday, gave notice to employees, and I can’t speak to the other two specifically.

Their issue for closing their doors, they told me, is the economic climate, the slowdown in tourism, and there is concern that the support levels might not be there from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Setting that sort of framework up, my questions are directed, of course, to...

I don’t want to give too much detail, because it is a very specific issue, so I’m trying to be as vague as possible, but the Minister is fully aware of the case. In this particular case, the constituent has to travel south for a very specialized reason. Once they’re finished what has to be done to them, in a medical sense, they’ll require specialized drugs to help them through the process. In talking to Capital Health, there’s an assumption that the GNWT won’t cover these specialized drugs, recommended by the specialists after they’ve received this very specific treatment. That concern is real...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have an oral question, and it’ll be for the Minister of Health and Social Services. It will be on the topic of medical travel.

I had a constituent contact me yesterday, and interestingly enough, I had another constituent contact me again this morning regarding almost an identical medical travel problem. Mr. Speaker, that is about when you get a non-medical escort approved through the doctors’ process. Medical Travel in one of the cases has refused to allow that person, even with a doctor’s note, to bring a non-medical travel escort south. In the second case the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Power Corp issue is an accountability issue for me. It’s about value for money. The day to day question is: how is it being operated? Are we getting the money that we expect out of this organization? Are we getting the accountability out of this organization that we expect for our citizens in the territory?

Mr. Speaker, I think the government has a role to play. I think it’s time to roll the NWT Power Corp into the territorial realm of responsibility, just like any other department. They act like a department but with the independence of free rein. It’s a grey area...